The Vikings Are Kings of the NFC North
Stephen_Nolan
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In 2017, the Minnesota Vikings won the NFC North, and it wasn’t particularly close. The Vikings finished the season at 13-3, with second place going to the Detroit Lions at 9 wins. The Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears rounded out the division at a measly 7-9 and 5-11 respectively. There is no reason to think that the Vikings won’t dominate the division again in 2018 and claim its third division title in the past four years.
The Vikings were without a doubt the most complete roster in the NFC North in 2017, finishing with the number 11 ranked offense and the number 1 ranked defense. Below is a comparison of how the Vikings NFC rivals fared comparatively in total offense and defense, per ESPN.
Total Offense and Defense 2017
| Offense | Defense | |
| Minnesota Vikings | 11th | 1st |
| Detroit Lions | 13th | 27th |
| Chicago Bears | 30th | 10th |
| Green Bay Packers | 26th | 22nd |
It’s clear that there was quite a gulf in class between the Vikings and their divisional rivals in 2017, although I expect this will close somewhat with the moves made by each organization in the offseason. The Packers will see the return of Aaron Rodgers, and pending his health, should have a top 10 offense. At the same time, the Green Bay secondary is perhaps one of the worst in the NFL at this stage, and they will be in quite a bit of trouble if they don’t find some talented, ready to start cornerbacks in the draft. Each offseason, the Packers hype a new, expensive, aging tight end as the solution to all their woes, but unless Jimmy Graham is playing defense, I’m not sure how the Packers will compete for the division in 2018. The Lions will be led by a new coach in Matt Patricia, and although they haven’t made any splash signings in Free Agency, they should be competitive once again in 2018. The Chicago Bears are perhaps the biggest wildcard, bringing in a few of talented options on the attacking side of the ball, including Allen Robinson and Trey Burton, but much will depend on the development of Mitch Trubisky.
The Vikings are perhaps the easiest team to forecast for 2018. It’s hard to picture a situation in which the Vikings defense doesn’t finish in the top three again, barring horrific injury. With the acquisition of Sheldon Richardson, the Vikings have one of the most (if not the most) terrifying front four in the NFL, as Richardson works alongside a healthy Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph and Danielle Hunter. The linebacking tandem of Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks is one of the strongest in the league, and the secondary will be led by Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes once again. An underrated factor in the Vikings success has been the continuity in the defense, and once again there has been limited turnover this offseason. You can sign all the stars you want in Free Agency (looking at you Rams), and it’s just not possible to be sure how the players will mesh together. The Vikings have done a fantastic job of building as a unit, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they finish 2018 as the #1 defense.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Vikings will need to take a step into the top 10 to have a chance of lifting silverware. The addition of a quarterback who has thrown for 4000 yards for each of the past three years in Kirk Cousins is huge. Additionally, the return of Dalvin Cook should see the run game be more efficient and explosive than it was in 2017. There are huge question marks along the offensive line, and it’s astounding Rick Spielman continues to ignore such an obvious problem. Unless he nails his selection of offensive lineman in the draft and finds a capable starter or two, this could be the part of the team that causes the rest to unravel (sound familiar?). However, the Vikings have the two best wide receivers in the division in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, and if the line is addressed appropriately the offense could very well be the best in the division again, regardless of Rodgers’ return for the Packers. Even if the line performs at the same level as last season, the Vikings still have enough firepower to claim the North.
Given the strength of the Vikings roster, and the improvements they made this offseason already, the remaining NFC North teams needed to make significant improvements to take over the divisional crown in 2018. Of course, before the draft, it’s impossible to know with certainty how teams will shape up by the start of the season. However, it’s tough to find cornerbacks ready made to start in the NFL, let alone in the slugfest of the NFC North, so I don’t think the Packers will be able to patch up that hole adequately enough to challenge the Vikings. The Lions roster is not yet complete enough to be in that conversation, although it is conceivable they could be in the wildcard race. The Bears will need Trubisky to make huge steps to even be in that race this season. Expect the Vikings to win their third NFC North crown in the past four years in 2018.